St Pete parades Olympic flame

The 2008 Olympic torch-bearing ceremony has taken place in Russia's second city, St Petersburg. The honour of carrying the flame first was given to the 1952 Olympic shot-putting champion Galina Zybina. The 77-year-old is also a survivor of the Siege of Le

Among other torch bearers were prominent sportsmen, actors, Russian and Chinese politicians, as well as the President of Russia's Olympic Committee Leonid Tyagachyov.

Each of the 80 relay runners carried the Olympic flame 250 metres for an average of two minutes. It took about four hours to travel the 22-kilometre route.

It is the second time the city has been lit up by a flame from ancient Olympia. The first was in 1980 during the Moscow Olympic Games.